Chapter 3: The Trap Closes
The ballroom was now a pressure cooker. Elena gripped her stomach, stumbling back into the arms of a waiter. "No. No, this isn't possible. He gave me money. He gave me keys to an apartment."
"He gave you stolen money, Elena," Sophia said, her voice cold as ice. "And the keys? They belong to a property that is currently under federal investigation for money laundering. You weren't just a mistress; you were the designated 'fall girl.' The moment you walked through those doors, the authorities were notified. You weren't here to expose a betrayal. You were here to provide the final piece of evidence to clear my husband’s name by proving someone else was impersonating him."
Julian—or the man they all thought was Julian—backed toward the side exit, his hand reaching for his jacket.
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"Don't bother," a voice boomed. The side doors burst open, and two federal agents in tactical gear walked in. "The real Julian Sterling died in that crash, just as the news reported. The man standing in this room is Marcus Vane, an international fraudster with thirty-two outstanding warrants."
The imposter froze. The room was paralyzed. The entire narrative of the "perfect marriage" had been a cover for a high-stakes investigation that Sophia had been running for months.
